Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

Board Chairman

Our fish spawning and planting activities have been hampered this year to some extent by the low rainfall production events in the California Central Coastal Region. The rainfall amounts in much of our Region were approximately 50% below the normal amounts to date, and therefore, there was much less opportunity for adult fish to spawn this season. In addition, control system troubles with the Felton Diversion Dam in mid- March, as well as the occurrence of San Lorenzo River low flows, caused the inflatable dam to be lowered.

These events resulted in the termination of our adult steelhead fish collection program at two thirds of our spawning goal for this year. In spite of this situation, I predict that we will raise approximately 30,000 juvenile steeelhead from this season’s spawning activities. Our fish planting activities were affected as well this season, although to a lesser degree, than the spawning activities. We have just completed our planting activities as follows:

• Steelhead: Approx. 50,100 in a total of 8 streams
• Coho: Approx. 2,250 in a total of 2 streams

Last year our Hatchery Manager, Dave Streig, sustained a serious leg injury, and he underwent substantial surgical repairs to remedy the injuries. Many of our volunteers came to our aid, and they did a great job in keeping our Kingfisher facilities running during Dave’s two and a half months of recovery. We are all glad to see Dave back at the Helm!

MBSTP was not able to conduct our Chinook Salmon Enhancement Program last year at the Moss Landing Harbor due to the lack of availability of volunteers to form a full crew for that sea pen location. This year of 2007 we have been able to obtain a group of volunteers, although small in number, to perform the Chinook Program activities at Moss Landing. My appeal for volunteers in the 2006 Newsletter for enough personnel to form a Moss Landing Harbor Team fell somewhat short of our goal, but the quality of those who did respond is outstanding.

At the time of preparing this article, our Chinook Program activities are in “full bloom” with vaccination of approx. 400,000 Chinook smolts and assembly and set-up of our rearing sea pens at Moss Landing and Santa Cruz Harbors. This year we are looking forward to rearing and releasing another 240,000 Chinook smolts into the Monterey Bay waters. It is becoming painfully more obvious that we are going to need additional volunteers to join our Chinook Program Teams in order for us to continue our Chinook Program in future years. Please join our Chinook Program Teams (and maybe get others to join as well) and do your part to keep this great salmon sport and commercial fishery going! Please contact Larry Wolf at 831-688-4257 or Al Smith at 831-722-4753 for further information on how to join our Program.

In our May 2006 Newsletter, many of you may recall that I indicated I had advised our Board of Directors that I would be resigning as the Chairman of the Board in mid-year of 2007. It is now rapidly approaching mid-2007, and I want to give you a brief status of where we are in the governance elements of our Project:

• In May 2006, two new volunteers were appointed to our Board of Directors
• Since June of 2006 no new responses were received from candidates interested in joining our Board of Directors
• Several of our Project Functions have been reassigned, but there are more Functions to be reassigned
• By end of September 2007, Al Smith will resign as Chairman of Board
• After September, Al intends to remain on Board as a Director but on a substantially reduced participation level.

As of May 2007, I have been a member of MBSTP for 20 years, and I have been on the Board of Directors for over 12 years. My tenure with MBSTP has been a very pleasurable, enjoyable, and rewarding experience. In particular, I am overjoyed in having met and worked with so many great/outstanding people and in sharing our mutual accomplishments and challenges. I number you all among my dear friends and colleagues, and I thank you for your help, support, and advice over these past 20 years. Finally, I want to give a very special thank you to my dear wife for all of the help, support, and encouragement that she has given to me during my association with MBSTP.

All of us in the MBSTP give our continued thanks to The David & Lucile Packard Foundation; Fish & Game Advisory Commissions of Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties; Commercial Salmon Stamp Committee; Scotts Creek Watershed Council; Santa Cruz Port District; and Moss Landing Harbor District. You all are the best!.

Back